The Danish Championship in Entrepreneurship – an educational roller coaster

On Wednesday 27th May, 12 nominated teams from the higher educations in Denmark went for an emotional roller coaster ride, when they participated in the Danish Championship in Entrepreneurship. With memorized pitches and presentation ready, the nominated students were more than ready to convince the judges as well as the visiting guests that they were the best among all the talented teams.

A periodical sound of screams and squeals can be heard, as soon as you step out from Copenhagen Central Station and you don’t have to look far, to find the roller coasters of the Tivoli Gardens as well as the culprit behind the outbursts of excitement. The feeling and experience of riding a roller coaster had Wednesday the 27th May snuck out the Tivoli Gardens’ gates and infiltrated the Danish Chambers of Commerce’s Royal Exchange.

The accelerated pulse rate, the adrenaline rush and the swinging emotions that normally can be found in passengers of a roller coaster ride, could that day also be found in the students, who participated in the Danish Championship in Entrepreneurship.

“It feels like riding a roller coaster,” Eva Ostermann from team ‘ADESU’ says, as she describes her experience and feelings participating in the Danish Championship.

Since the program of the day consisted of, a closed jury interview, visits from judges and other guests as well as a final pitch on stage, it was no small wonder that the day had felt like a roller coaster ride. One might be lead to believe that the programme would result in a lot of exhausting students, but that wasn’t the case according to Mike Pryssing from team ‘Chifibo’, who says;

“The ‘stress’ and excitement that are a part of being entrepreneurs and events like the Danish Championship, are also some of the things that are great about participating in an event like this and they’re also some of the things that I find alluring in entrepreneurship. I for instance find a day such as today – where one’s feelings and pulse rate rise and fall with the hectic program – really great and I just get a ‘kick’ out of it.”

From nerve-racking excitement to energetic calmness

“I think that it was yesterday, when we arrived at our hotel where I realised that we were going to participate in the Danish Championship. I of course got a little nervous just before going to bed, but today – right here and now – I actually feel great. Though I must admit that it was a bit nerve-racking in the beginning, at the closed jury interviews,” says Nicolai Rantzau from team ‘Chifibo’.

The trembling nerves that arrived the day before the Danish Championship and stayed until the closed jury interviews were soon buried with the lunch, and the students could finally find the calmness within to enjoy their surroundings and the event.

“I’m full of good energy. It’s just so exciting to be here today. It’s not only intriguing to hear about the other participants’ projects, but also very exciting to talk with the different guests, who wants to hear a little bit more about our projects and ideas,” Charlotte Lindberg from team ‘Tabt Barndom’ says with a big smile on her lips.

Towards the future with entrepreneurship as a compass

“We have a prototype of our app ready to be published and we’re planning to get it published, regardless of today’s outcome,” says team ‘Chifibo’

Team ‘Chifibo’ aren’t the only ones, who intend to realise their ideas. There was agreement among the interviewed students that their idea’s journey wasn’t over, after the Danish Championship.

“I’ve got a taste of entrepreneurship and want more, so I’m definitely going to realise my idea and business. I hope that I soon can build and work on the video-library. I’m actually going to participate in a couple of different workshops, where I’ll get the opportunity to speak with potential customers. I can’t wait to learn more about that part of establishing a business as well,” says Chalotte from ‘Tabt Barndom’, while Dharsan from team ‘ADESU’ tells us that;

“Our company is on its way to become realised. Our prototype should be up and running as well as tested this autumn. We’re personally on our way to become self-employed and we expect to start our own company with our idea – not only to make money, but also because we strongly believe that we can contribute with a solution to a problem that occurs in the hospitals.”

To grow with the task

Despite being full of positive energy, the program of the day still took its toll on the students, who at the end of the day needed their energy reserves – whether it was in form of inner energy or energy drinks. Tips and trick to business plans and pitch presentations were not the only things the students could take with them from their participation in the Danish Championship and Start Up Programme. Natália Danihelová from team ’Book a student’ for instance says;

“It has been great experience participating in the Danish Championship and Start Up Programme. We can really see and feel how much we’ve grown – not only as a company, but also personally. The event and process up to the event has pushed us towards action. It has pushed us to do something and become more motivated, than what we already were. So it has been really great! We’re definitely going to bring, the good feeling and all the connections we’ve made during this event, with us.”

“Start Up Programme has been a huge help in my entrepreneurship process until now. For instance was the business plan one o the things I had pushed a bit aside. So it has been a great help to get a deadline and by that pushed to finish it. It has taken a lot of effort and hard work to get the business plan written and done, but that has also been an important part of the process, and as a result I feel like I’ve come a really long way, in my process of establishing my company and realising my idea as well as become more than ready to meet my first customers, ” says Charlotte from ‘Tabt Barndom’, while Mike from ‘Chifibo’ tells us that;

“We can take everything from this event and the process we’ve been through with us – especially the experience. If it was 4 months ago, I wouldn’t have believed that we would be standing here today or that we would be so close to publish ‘Chifibo’.”

The students didn’t end the day with the with the award ceremony though. With everything packed and done, the students moved on to the after party at Ruby Cocktail Bar, where the day was celebrated.

Do you want to know more about the participants and their ideas. Then click here.

Or do you want to know more about the Start Up Programme? Read more here.

The Nominees for the Danish Championship in Entrepreneurship Are…

Pitches, business plans and scene presentations need to be in order, when Start Up Programme sends 12 selected teams from the higher educations in Denmark, to the Danish Championship in Entrepreneurship on Thursday the 27th May. Nerves and entrepreneurial skills will be tested, when the 12 nominated teams meet at the Danish Chambers of Commerce’s Royal Exchange in Copenhagen. Are you curious about whom the 12 nominees are, what their ideas are about and do you want to know what they’ve gained from participating in Start Up Programme? Get a sneak peek of the nominees here.

The 12 nominees qualified to the Danish Championship in Entrepreneurship through Start Up Programme – an educational programme that, among other things, aims to transform theoretical and academic knowledge to the realization of ideas.

Read about the nominees here

Mobil & Web

Book a Student

‘Book a Student’ consists of 6 students; Branding and Marketing Management student Necilai C. International Communication and Multimedia Design students Dominykas Bartkus and Adam T. Perry, Engineer student, Clarissa Azaria, Retail Design and Management student, Natália Danihelová and last but not least Dan Krupskis. The 6 students want to build a bridge between students and the labour market as well as give an easy-to-use and resourceful tool to the HR managers and companies. They’ll create this through a crowdsourcing platform – an online temp job marketplace consisting of students. Companies will here be able to easily ‘book’ a student for a temp job, assignment and complex projects.

“The participation in Start Up Programme has, among other things, taught me how to create strong customer value and what to consider when you’re working with B2B and B2C. In addition to this, pitching is also one of the things I’ve learned,” says Neculai.

Chifibo

Computer Science student Mike Pryssing and Multimedia Design student Nicolai Rantzau want to bring the baby’s first year book into the digital world. They’ll with an app make it easier for parents to make their own personal baby’s first year book, where they at the end will be able to order a hard copy of the book.

“We’ve learnt a lot about entrepreneurship and innovation through the Start Up Programme process. We’ve for instance learnt how to write a good business plan, how to pitch and how to work under great pressure. In addition to that, we’ve also learnt that you don’t have to reinvent the wheel, but your idea can also be rooted in and developed from something that already exists. We’ve furthermore learnt how to work across our studies. Through the process we’ve learnt how to utilize our knowledge within our different studies,” says Mike and Nicolai.

Smart Ride

Multimedia Design student Edita Valantiejute and programmer Edmundad Valantiejute want to create a all-in-one solution for taxi companies, private drivers and passengers, by linking them through a platform. The consumer will through an app or a website, for instance be able to book a taxi from all of the country’s taxi company or private driver.

“Our participation in Start Up Programme has given us the opportunity to train and develop our pitching skills. To begin with we were offered pitching training through Start Up Programme, where we got a lot of relevant information for instance about how to pitch and what a pitch should contain. This was a good and useful experience – not only for the Danish Championship, but also for the future. Later on the 4th May, every team pitched their idea to the jury as well as had an interview with them. At this coaching event, we received a lot of feedback, as to what to improve as well as prepare for the Danish Championship. The whole participation process has until now been a great experience,” says Edita and Edmundas.

Health & Welfare

ADESU

Engineer student in Welfare Technology Dharsan Rayapthanyan and Occupational Therapist student Eva Ostermann want to give hospitals and patients an advantage as well as save time and money. ADESU is a compact, hygienic and smell-free dustbin that weighs, measures and compresses disposable materials in the hospitals.

“Start Up Programme has taught me how to handle different issues and problems in connection to the business development and sale of our product. An idea can be the best in the world, but if you can’t see it with a business perspective, then the realization of the idea can be more than difficult,” says Dharsan.

“The thing that has surprised me positively is how easy it is to seek out and get guidance about entrepreneurship. We’ve been met with open arms from a number of competent people within the business world, who’ve tried to be our shoes,” Eva further adds.

Tabt Barndom

Design student Charlotte Lindberg and Media Graphis student Mette Stribolt, want to increase the quality of life within those, who’ve been sexually assaulted, as well as raise awareness about what they can do to help themselves. Taking the form of a free, online, holistic and comprehensive treatment offer, ‘Tabt Barndom’ is going to be a tool to help those, who’ve been sexually assaulted in their childhood and/or youth.

“The participation in Start Up Programme has helped me become more focused on how the future of the company looks. The focus has through working and developing our business plan, been moved from an idea to action – which has been a great process,” says team leader Charlotte.

Charlotte LindbergPhoto is taken by Jacob Kjøller

“It surprised me how many doors the nomination to the Danish Championship has opened. Sexual assaults is still a taboo for many, but since our nomination and the acknowledgement we’ve gotten from The Danish Foundation for Entrepreneurship – Young Enterprise, more people have opened up for this taboo. We’ve for instance in contact with partners, who want to contribute with their knowledge and experience within the field of sexual assault, to which we’re happy and grateful for,” Charlotte further adds.

Functional Electronic Medicine: F.E.M

F.E.M consists of Multimedia Design student Anna-Kathrine Christensen, Computer Science student Masseh Yar, Law student Christoffer M. Jensen, and Florian Weissermar, who is studying to become a teacher. The 4 students want to optimize the citizens’ life quality and health care workers’ environment, with a dispenser for liquid medicine that weighs a specific amount of medicine as well as doses it at a specific time.

“As a result from our participation in Start Up Programme, we’ve learned that you should work for and with the things you believe in. We’ve also learned that hard work and great effort are keys to success – you can’t sleep your way to success. It has taken a lot of sweat and tears, to be where we are now. So if you have an idea, then why not grab the chance to realize it, while you still can? This leads to another thing we’ve learnt, taking a chance. In addition we’ve, also realized that it takes a strong team to make things work – none of us would’ve been able to reach to where we’re now, if we were on our own. Start Up Programme has been a huge help, as it has given us the opportunity and an insight as to how a great teamwork should work,” says Anna-Kathrine.

Society & People

Big 8

Behind team ‘Big 8’ are, International Marketing and Management students Barbora Peterikova and Yater Dabbo and the chefs Aidan John Mckennan and Jens Chistian Forsberg-Olesen. With a community based platform and restaurant, ‘Big 8’ aims to create a safe environment for people with food allergies to eat, without having to worry about their allergens.

“It has been a great experience to be a part of Start Up Programme. The educational programme has given us a new perspective on business. We’ve through the process for instance learnt how to better utilize management and project planning. Our participation has allowed us to use all of our theoretical knowledge from our studies and put it into a real project and as a result allowed us to see all the connections that we haven’t seen before. Start Up programme has not only given us a kick-start for an exciting future – no matter what the outcome of the Danish Championship might be – but t has also helped us embrace a new life of excitement and of shorter sleeping hours,” says team ‘Big 8’.

Elevakademiet

While Christina Exner is a digital student, Cecilie Rask is studying to become a teacher. They believe that motivation is a key word in learning. That’s why they want to offer private tuition and homework assistance based in the pupil’s interests, academic level and learning style. It’s not only the pupils who will benefit from getting high quality tuition done by students, who’re studying to become teachers. It will also give the student teachers the opportunity to challenge themselves at a personal as well as academic and professional level.

“The participation in Star Up Programme has helped us become better at pitiching as well as become better at developing our business plan. Even though we to begin with had a pretty good understanding of our company, we still benefitted a lot from writing all our thoughts and ideas into the business plan, which gave us a much clearer overview of all the qualities our company has,” says Cecilie and Christina

“Something that surprised us a lot was how much time our company and project needed. We spent a lot of time writing our business plan as well as developing our pitch. Having said that, the process has also been incredible educational , and now that we’ve almost reached the finish line, it has really become clear to us how much we’ve actually developed as a company, through this process,” the 2 students further adds.

De Rumlige Figurer

Anders Holck Rasmussen and Nicolaj Khan Larsen are both studying to become teachers. By turning the figures from the Geometry and Math books, such as the pyramids and boxes, into touchable foam figures, Anders and Nicolaj aims to make classes more tangible and real for the pupils. The 2 students also want to make IT a bigger part of the classes, which they will do by combining the figure with and app.

“Through our participation in Start Up Programme, we’ve learnt to think out of the box and do something we didn’t think we could do, with our the studies. Having to start our own business from scratch is beyond our competences within teaching, but with the help from Start Up Programme, we believe that we now have gotten the competences to do exactly that,” says Anders and Nicolaj.

Marketing Management student Usama Awad and Mechanical Engineer student Ahmad Al-Kerdi makes the ‘SSWH’ team. Ahmad and Usama want to equip door locks with an operating and control system. The system will give the consumer the opportunity to stay updated, as to what’s going on outside and by the door with his/her phone – no matter where they are in the world.

“From the Start Up Programme process, we’ve learned how to develop our idea and product, with the aim to make it more attractive for possible investors, ” says Usama and Ahmad

Sculpto

The 3 Marketing Management students Kristina Villadsen, Simon Breum Fisker and Jacob Lindberg know that children are intuitive and often change interests. Sculpto is a 3D printer that combined with a digital platform can print exactly what the child wants to play with.